© Kyle Terada | 2020 Oct 4
The 49ers are broken, but they’re not helping themselves either.
That much was apparent this weekend in the 43-17 drubbing at the hands of the seemingly mediocre Dolphins, a game in which Jimmy Garoppolo was benched at halftime for a combination of poor performance and injury.
Garoppolo has only played in one full game this season, a loss to Arizona in the opener, and two halves vs. the Jets and aforementioned Dolphins. It’s a small sample size, but according to former 49ers quarterback Steve Young, it’s been enough to indicate that there isn’t nearly enough trust between Garoppolo and coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Look we’ve all been there, it’s okay, but now fix it,” Young said of Garoppolo’s issues. “We’ve got to now slow everything down, because Kyle is going to call plays, and he can’t wonder if you’re going to be too quick and not catch the guy he knows is going to be open. So they need to get on the same page.
“I’m sure Kyle at the half — Jimmy was hurt, I get that — but Kyle was also frustrated with Jimmy. I’m sure Kyle is like, ‘Guys are coming open, you’re rushing through it, slow it down.’ I think that’s what’s got to happen quickly.”
Garoppolo was pulled after two-head scratching interceptions to close the half. He finished 7-for-17 for 77 yards, and was sacked twice and fumbled once. Shanahan said he made the switch to protect Garoppolo who still hasn’t full recovered from an ankle issue.
“I told you at the beginning of the year, obviously health is number one, we should’ve said, because it ended up being a big issue,” Young continued. “But behind health is to get Kyle so that he had confidence that he could call as aggressive of play calling as he wanted, both run and pass, and that Jimmy would have a sense of confidence that he would protect the play caller. That’s where things really hum. It’s not in tatters right now, but it needs to get better.”
Listen to the full interview below.